Activision and Sony to re-think UK industry support

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick has warned that the company will cease to invest in the UK should the government fail to provide incentives or tax relief to the games industry.

The company, which owns UK studios Bizarre Creations and FreeStyleGames, recently joined TIGA with Kotick telling the Financial Times that something needs to be done.

“For us to continue to invest in the UK there needs to be an incentive provided for us to do so,” he said. “The talent pool in the UK is among the best in the world for what we do. But we really need to see some more incentives.

“We are seeing great incentives in Canada, Singapore and eastern bloc countries.”

Sony UK head Ray Maguire is of the same thought, telling the paper the firm would continue with existing projects in the UK, but future projects “would have to be looked at”, adding that upcoming projects planned for the UK could possibly “go abroad”.

Six of Sony’s 15 studios are located in the UK, including Evolution Studios, Media Molecule, and SCE London to name a few.

Last week, it was announced that Chancellor George Osborne had canceled UK videogame tax relief and incentives, despite pre-election pledges made by the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, the Labour Party and the Scottish National Party in support for games tax relief.